The present invention relates to an information providing system, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program. More particularly, the invention relates to an information providing system, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program suitable for handling image data and sound data.
In widespread use today are client-server systems each comprising a server that provides its clients with image data and sound data via a network. Each client receives the image data and sound data coming from the server over the network so as to display images and to output sounds reflecting the received data.
The server may include a tuner for receiving TV broadcasts. In this case, the server generates image data and sound data representing a received TV program and provides each client with the generated image data and sound data.
On receiving the image data and sound data corresponding to received TV programs, each client may display images and output sounds reflecting the received data.
At present, there exist servers each incorporating the tuner that receives TV broadcasts and provides clients with image data and sound data representing the received TV programs. In these setups, every time a server is accessed by a client, the user of that client is required to perform a bothersome series of operations for selecting the server in question out of multiple servers available.